Useful Links and Resources, Part Two

A few more links to some spiffy articles, all published in 2007 by The Atlantic Monthly. The first is a ranking of the "Best of the Best" Creative Writing programs in the United States, found here. It's not as comprehensive as some of the rankings you'd find elsewhere, like on The Suburban Ecstasies, but it's a nice place to start, and is a list based on informal research and interviews conducted by one man, Edward Delaney. The following two links provide the real "meat" of the MFA-related content, found here and here. The first is a sister article that is meant to accompany the "Best of the Best" rankings; it's Mr. Delaney's appraisal of what makes a great Creative Writing program, taking a look at selectivity, funding, faculty, and alumni. The second link is an in-depth interview by The Atlantic of Mr. Delaney's experiences researching Creative Writing programs.

What I found most valuable was reading about Mr. Delaney's experiences as both an insider and an outsider to the process, working as a journalist, a professor, and a writer. He provides a lot of great insights. Enjoy!

Useful Links and Resources

Tom Kealey's The Creative Writing MFA Handbook -- If you're starting the application process from scratch, this is the book to begin with. Lots of great baseline information such as funding, the application process, interviews, advice. Buy this book and read it. It won't give you everything you need to know, but it will give you a place (a very big place) to start. I can't imagine how I could have possibly known where to start without this resource with so many things to prioritize and research.

MFA Blog -- I visit this site on a daily basis. It's the "web version" of the book described above. Contributors post on all subjects relating to the application process -- information on prospective programs, studying for the GREs, etc. There's also a very helpful little community of other fellow applicants who comment regularly. A great extension of Tom Kealey's book.

Poets & Writers Speakeasy Forum -- A forum with a great community. You'll have to register to read and write posts, but it's well worth it. Members are knowledgeable, kind, and more than willing to help. If there's a question to ask, no matter how obscure, you can be sure there's an answer. Important sub-forums to visit: "MFA Programs," "Sending Your Work Out," and "Rejection Letters." I have no doubt that this place will be my home when the prime application months (November, December) and subsequent rejection months (February, March) roll around.

The Suburban Ecstasies -- Seth Abramson's blog, where you come for the incredible resource on MFA programs and stay for the political commentary. On his blog, Seth has compiled an amazing amount of research on MFA Program Rankings for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, Acceptance Rates, and even Application Response Times. Why? Because he's just a really nice guy. You won't find this kind of information readily available anywhere else on the internet, especially the Acceptance Rates and Response Times. Just click on the link I've provided and in the right-hand bar you'll see all the resources I've described (you may have to scroll down a bit to see all of them).

I'll also put all these links in my "Useful Links and Resources" section on the right-hand bar for quick access.